Straight No Chaser: Forgive and forget

He’s, let’s say . . . an enlightened man for it, even have him tell it. A far better father and husband, and without debate – a far-better NFL Signal Caller. So much so, his 105 plus Quarterback rating is league high, so high its silencing his critics, haters and nay-sayers by the droves.

And, with a country full of zoo and circus attending meat-eaters monitoring his every move, Vick is apparently dotting all his “i’s” and crossing all the “T’s” – on and off-the-field. At, the Warp 7 speed Vick’s traveling, it seems his destination may go beyond Jerry Jones’ Big House in Dallas, but rather Walt’s 2nd home Orlando.

Is Mike Vick going to DisneyWorld . . . ?

Darrell Fry, Sports Media Director of Walt Disney World responded to my phone call, answered my question by offering this Black n’ White answer; “Mike Vick is having a great season so-far, but we (Disney) don’t speculate or discuss our plans prior to the super Bowl . . . thank you Desi.

Remember who asked first. I see this one coming like the 2:30 Monorail to Frontier-Land. Disney is between a Rock at Thunder Mountain and a hard place over at the Matterhorn. Damned if they do recognize the Black Dog killer, Damned if they don’t.

Mike Vick’s personal rebirth, coupled with his redefining of the Quarterback job description has the fleet-footed one fast on his way to becoming the most polarizing person in these so-called United States of America – rivaling OJ and President Obama as this divided nation’s walking and talking racial litmus bar-examine.

To forgive or not to forgive . . . that is the angry pet-owners quagmire?

If Mike Vick wins the NFL’s MVP, which at this juncture in the season, he’s running in the top 5, then, let’s just say, for grins and giggles, Vick wins the Super Bowl, which would imply he probably played a spectacular game, and is logically, I say logically tagged as the MVP of the Superbowl . . . will Disney-world allow him to ride on Splash Mountain and Rock n’ Roll Rollercoaster . . . along with his wife and kids, for all the world to see?

Can White America forgive a Black man who did the grossly unwarranted time for his crime? Can a nation packed n’ stacked with bitter, angry Tea Baggers acknowledge Vick’s now earned his way back, and better then before,

Did I say Mike’s humbled? That’s a big, big deal with White America – I’m not the first to suggest there still exist “elements,” slices of the “Real All-American” Apple Pie who almost seem elated, hell perhaps aroused to see a Black alpha-male “break,” admit wrong doing or failure.

For them, and most of the Networks, Vick can’t say he’s sorry enough, can’t beat himself up enough for some.

Dig this: I’m but another-one who understands there’re people in this country who will never forgive Vick, and it’s got much more to do with the uniform he can’t remove.

I’d argue they’re those who’ll never be comfortable with Blacks, Mexicans, Asians and women “out of their 1958 assigned place” and that means as pilots, Quarterbacks, architects, generals or brain surgeons or firewomen; I’m just hoping Walt Disney’s people aren’t amongst the millions.

Had Eli Manning, a below the Mason-Dixon Line country boy been caught dog-fighting, gambling on it, gone to Leavenworth for a couple of years, had all the material trinkets of success snatched away, and then picked himself off the dirt, cleaned himselves off and began a nationwide “redemption tour”, after a year of studying, better preparing himself for both life and the game . . .

This nation would embrace that white guy.

Why not Vick, its the same great American tale . . . of rising above your own self-inflicted wounds.